Quake due to tectonic shifts in Patna-Kathmandu area

BD Kasniyal

Pithoragarh, May 3

The devastating earthquake in Nepal on April 25 was not due to tectonic activities in the Main Central Thrust (MCT), but was due to tectonic activities in the subcontinental thrust which passes through Patna in India to western parts of Kathmandu, well-known geologist in Himalayan geology and Padma Bhushan awardee Dr KS Waldia said here.

Dr Waldia told mediapersons after addressing school students at a science awareness programme organised by a local NGO in collaboration with the CN RAO foundation of Bangaluru that due to occurrence in the subcontinental thrust, the earthquake affected parts of Kathmandu in Nepal as well as parts of Bihar and Terai region of India.

“This massive earthquake of nearly 8 on the Richter scale, caused over 6 metres earth shifting at the subcontinental thrust regions,” said Waldia.

Elaborating tectonic activities inside the earth, Waldia said that there are three earthquake-prone thrusts passing through India. The first plate passes from Delhi, Haridwar to Nepal, while two subcontinental thrusts pass through Lucknow to western Nepal, while the third thrust passes from Patna to the western part of Kathmandu. “There is a fourth thrust in the Himalayan region which passes from Sikkim to Nepal and causes the minimum effect in mainland India,” he said.

He added, “The Indian plate is getting stuck into the Eurasian plate at a speed of 5 mm per year due to which the Shivalik Himalayas are coming up with a speed of 1 mm, while lesser Himalayan and greater Himalayan regions are coming up with the sped of 3 and 5 mm per year, respectively. Tensions being generated by this activity at the forward parts of the Indian subcontinent is the main cause of earthquakes in the Himalayan region,” said Waldia.